Manufacture of tennis and similar playing-balls.



. F. ROWLEY. MANUFAGTUBE 0F TENNIS' PLAYING BALLS. PPLIoATrq rrngp'IU-LY 15,1908.

Patented 0cm?, 190`&

' FIG.

FRANK ROWLEY, OF WHALEY BRIDGE, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF TENNIS AND-SIMILAR PLAYING-BALLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application led July 15, 1908. Serial No. 443,621.

To all whom it 'may concern:

ject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of Whaley Bridge, in'the county of Chester, England,- 'have invented certain new and usefulImprovements inthe Manufacture of Tennis and Similar Playing-Balls, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lmprovements in tennis and similar playingballs, the obj eet of the improvements being to produce a more durableball. Hi'therto, to attain the same object it has been proposed to.cement a restraining cover of fabric to' the outside of the interiorindiarubber ball and to cement the usual felt outside covering to thefabric. This method has not been a success, probabl owing tomanufacturing defects.

ow my invention consists principally, in using a layer of indiarubberoutside the fabric, said layer being in an unstretched condition whilethe inner layer andfabric coveribn 1arein tension through the inflationof the On the drawing attached hereunto Figure 1' represents a verticalsection through my improved ball, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section withthe innermost rubber shell removed, showing the positions of the severallayers of materials.

In makin the ball, the restraining cover or shell a is formed preferablyof six or more segments of a spheroid cut from a suitable fa ric such asfine canvas indiarubber proofed on both sides, and cut on the bias sothat when inflated a true sphere is obtained. The segments of the fabricshell are referably stitched together with either overliipped or turnedin seams, one seamv being left un- -fastened until the indiarubberlining is inserted, when it is stitched up. The indiarubber lining b mabe first formed as a bladder havin a sma swellin such as c insidethrough W ich it can be in' ated by means of a needle ointed infiator.The bladder is inserted tlirough the open seam as before stated. Theindiarubber lining may however be formed by inserting some indiarubbersolution in the fabric shell and closing up the seam. p The shell isthenrolled round `until y I the solution is s read over the inside surfaceBe 1t known that I, FRANK RowLEY, a subclosing valve after beingpunctured, being g previously secured in position.

When the shell a and lining b are complete and inflated to the desiredhardness, the outside of the shell a, is coated with a thin covering dof indiarubber which may be applied in any suitable Way. For instance,the shell may be coated by paintingwith indiarubber solution or. bycementing thin sheet indiarubber thereto. Over the coating d is appliedthe final or outer covering e. This may be of indiarubber compound, of agranulated nature or having a rou hened surface,

or it may be of any-other suitable material. For instance, the ordinaryfelt covering may be a plied to m improved ball.

Tllfe canvas s ell a may be. made of two thicknesses of fabric. In thiscase, the second, o1' outerthickness or layer is applied when the firstor inner one is inflated, the two layers being, preferably, cementedtogether, the second or outer one either being made in two halvesafterwards stitched toether when on the shell a or built round theatter. The ball is finally lfinished by curing the indiarubber in a moldin therordinary way. If the ball is to be covered with felt this is doneafter curing by preference.

I claim as my invention:

The improved manufacture of tennis and similar playing balls whichconsists in first forming a restraining shell of shaped segments ofindiarubber lproofed fabric sewn to- In testimony whereo' I havehereunto set.

my hand in the presence of two Witnesses. FRANK ROWLEY.

Witnesses: A

CARE BoLL, -WILLIAM JoNEs.

